001036   Thareja P (NO, , ) : Qualifying for student competencies through reengineering. Omniscience 2015, 5(1), 51-62.

Consortium of competencies required by a today's engineer are widening every day, thanks to reengineering, which accompanies in a horizon of information technology. The impetus was to make manual operations @ high technology physically less taxing. Various operations which were time consuming have now been made quicker and/or multi-tasking and so on. The new realization of meeting customer and societal requirements has facilitated a proponent that more accent is required to be laid on cultural strengths and attitudes. It concurrently calls upon to increase the intellectual sharpness of the product. Both aspects of lateral and vertical grooming of students in engineering and emotional intelligence (elevation) should be catered to in the new state of educational process. There is thus a need to reengineer our engineering educational schema such that the system is robust and potent. The requirement of educational product in is in diversity@core competence. The know-all requirement spells the unique learnability concurrently with handling of diverse set of tools. Failing which the industry or society is ready to count losses incurred due to lack of competency. The infrastructure for development of such activities, at the behest of academic environment for student @ 24 X 7 X 365 access is becoming the norm of a reengineered system, which interfaces with 1CT (Information and communication technologies). The present work uses a methodology of 4DM to improve competencies as Design. Develop and Deploy is introduced in this paper.

001035   Singh K;Gebrekidan H G (NO, , ) : Need assessment for opening a special school for differently abled children in Mekelle city, Ethiopia 2014. Omniscience 2015, 5(1), 20-50.

Every one differs from each other in all aspects which includes physical, emotional, intellectual and behaviors. This causes a different situation for a teacher who has to manage the students with different abilities. It has been greatest challenge for the school teachers to provide a better service without individual differences. In a class room a child can be a normal or with special need those who required more attention. The aim of the study is to find the requirement of special schools in Mekelle and by which it will open the way for opening a special school in Mekelle which will help in educating the differently abled children. A community based cross sectional study on the parents of differently abled children, medical doctors and school teachers are conducted from Oct, 2014 to Nov, 2014. Using single population proportion formula a total of 422 subjects are participated which was sampled by multi stage sampling method. Interviewer and self administered semi-structured questionnaire are used to collect the data. The data has been analyzed using SPSS version 20.0. Bivariate analysis has been employed to determine predictors of the outcome variable. Then variables which are found significant at P-value <60>0.05 in bivariate analysis are enter to multivariate logistic regression to calculate the independent effects of independent variables on outcome variables. The results of the qualitative data are presented in narratives in triangulation with quantitative data. This project has been conducted from Oct, 2014 till Nov 2014. A total of 26,585.00 birr has been used to carry out the project.

001034   Mondal T;Sarkhel J (Commerce Dep, AKPC Mahavidyalaya, Bengai, Hooghly-712 611) : Participation of poor tribal women in the self help groups (SHGs) and its impact on empowerment of them: a comparative study between pre-shg and post-shg situations of the respondents from a tribal inhabited block from the district of Bankura, West-Bengal. Indian J Landsc Syst ecol Stud 2014, 37(1), 228-37.

Removal of poverty is the main objective of planning in India since the inception of planning period for the overall development of the country. At present, Self Help Group (SHG) and Micro- finance are being considered as important tools for poverty alleviation through empowering the poor and underprivileged section of the society throughout the globe. In our country, poverty alleviation programmes have been given more and mare importance in the field of economic development. The present research paper is an attempt to analyse the impact of Self Help Group (SHG) and Micro-Finance on poor tribal women of a tribal inhabited block from Bankura district of West-Bengal. This paper attempts to give an account of the SHGs of the study areas, the participation of poor tribal women into the SHGs-and the role of SHGs on women empowerment. Result of the study indicated that the participation in SHGs has significant impact on the members of the SHGs of the study area. It also indicates that the two-factors; the level of education and the period of participation of the members in the SHGs have significant impact on the socio-economic empowerment of the poor tribal women. Finally the paper concludes with some suggestions of the authors for the eradication of poverty by the socio-economic empowerment of women through SHGs-mechanism in the study area.

1 illus, 6 tables, 5 ref

001033   Mondal P (NO, , ) : Women empowerment based on literacy and employment in West Bengal. Indian J Landsc Syst ecol Stud 2014, 37(1), 180-5.

Purpose of the present study is to assert the status of women in the state of West Bengal mainly based on the female literacy rate and the level of employment among the women community. This topic has been selected mainly because of its relevance to present world specially in developing countries like India where marked discrepancy is observed with regard to education and employment, men and women which is turn effect to the economic base of that region adversely, as almost half of the population lag far behind, this pose as a major obstacle in the economic growth and development. This methodology is solely based on secondary data collected from census office. Assimilation of all information and application of cartographic devices to represent the data. Through this study of the literacy rate and level of employment in West Bengal does not reveal a very impressive picture. Though literacy rate is gradually climbing up but proper and positive feedback to the workforce is grossly missing which means rise in literate and educated unemployed women leading to a rapid and rise in the proportion of non-workers, accentuating the dependency ratio which can have a major detrimental effect on the economy neutralizing realizing any progress in the economic field resulting in overall stagnancy and even deterioration in standard of living. The most striking features is the concentration of both female literate and workers in some well defind pockets mostly Kolkata urban area, Hooghly industrial belt, city of Howrah, Budwan, Midnapur, Khargapur etc. But unfortunately these urbanized centers have not acted as a growth poles encouraging urbanization and progress in the adjacent areas rather it has failed to provide the required impetus to the surrounding parts. Regional disparity shows in overall West Bengal.

10 illus, 1 table, 5 ref

001032   Ghosh R (NO, Vivekananda College of Women, Barisha) : Dynamics of rural economy and development through rural banking in India. Indian J Landsc Syst ecol Stud 2014, 37(1), 220-7.

It is clear that significant progress has been made, since independence, in expanding bank branches and banking habits in the rural areas, through a variety of institutional innovations. An impressive segment of rural economy has been brought into the ambit of formal financial intermediation, mainly through the public sector banking system, and to some extent, through cooperatives and RRBs. The future of banking in rural areas would, however, depend on several factors that have been described, namely, how the current concerns are addressed taking into account the dynamics of transformation in rural economies, the new realities in credit markets, the linkages between formal and informal markets, and the impact of financial as well as technological progress on the systems of financial intermediation. Consequently, public policy will have to address several issues to ensure a sound and efficient banking system in the service of rural areas. The more important of such issues relate to the approach, institutions, supply, cost, and related policies.

1 illus, 3 tables, 12 ref

001031   Das R (NO, BA LLB, Christ Univ Law School, Hosur Road, Bangalore-560 029) : Child labour in beedi fctories of Bankura district, West Bengal. Indian J Landsc Syst ecol Stud 2014, 37(1), 210-6.

5 ref

001030   Chopra J (NO, , ) : Changing classrooms learning in the constructivistic world. Omniscience 2015, 5(1), 1-4.

Constructivist view of learning clicks in our mind a variety of different teaching practices. It encourages students to use active techniques (i.e. projects, experiments, real-world problem solving etc.) to create new construction of knowledge. It shows and talks about their own process of constructing and understanding. The teacher ensures he/she understands the students' preexisting conceptions, and guides the activity to address them and then build on them. This paper discusses about how the methods of learning are changing in the constructivistic classroom. The term constructivism has been used to explain everything from school reform to teaching styles, and most importantly related to a learning theory.

001029   Baruwa A (Economics Dep, D.H.S.K. Commerce College, Dibrugarh, Assam) : Assessment of the health, social and economic insecurities of the aged population in major Indian states vis-a-vis Assam. Indian J Gerontol 2015, 29(1), 109-25.

The present paper is based on the analysis of data from secondary sources, viz. existing literature and reports with the aim to understand the vulnerability of the aged population in major states of India with reference to Assam in terms of old age dependency, health status, economic support, living arrangements of the aged, etc. and also the existing public provisions for financial security of the aged in terms of pension as well as non-pension arrangements presently available in India for the destitute elderly and retiring employees. The paper finds that India has failed to respond adequately and effectively to the demographic changes particularly in the backdrop of economic reforms, especially in terms of health and financial security requirements of the aged. Such poor response to the security requirements (especially financial) of the aged population is a big threat of exclusion of this vulnerable group from the market and eventually from the society.

3 tables, 14 ref

000023   Shiri S (NO, MAPSS Quality Management and Health Care Consultants International, Queensland, Australia, Email: sammanu12@fastmail.net) : Healthcare funding priority setting : a contested health policy issue. Prabandhan: Indian J Mgmt 2015, 8(2), 8-24.

This paper critically reviewed interdisciplinary literatures on a topical issue of priority setting in health care funding and proposed an Integrated Health Care Policy Scoping Framework and a corresponding Integrated Healthcare Funding Model, which is consistently applicable across global health care organizations to generate further debate on the subject. There is an existing unique gap in terms of a universally acceptable framework for allocating health care funding resources that is applicable to National Health Care Systems, which provides managers with health care resources to achieve sustainable profitability in both private and public healthcare organizations. Based on an international business perspective of healthcare both as a public good and a commercial entity, the topical debate appraised the close relationships that exist among the benchmarking variables of health policy and health care marketing in proximity to internal and external systems; social-political-economic factors and organisational strategy; as a way of demonstrating an open venture inventiveness to maximize sustainable organizational value at a competitive cost leadership and product differentiation advantage to both existing and new competitors.

2 illus, 49 ref

000022   Roy M N (Commerce Dep, Calcutta Univ, Kolkata, West Bengal, Email: mitrenduroy@gmail.com) : Statutory aduditors' independence in corporate accounting scandals : a case study of satyam computer services Ltd.. Prabandhan: Indian J Mgmt 2015, 8(2), 35-48.

Statutory auditors are professional accountants, external to the business enterprise, appointed to verify authenticity of financial statements of a corporate entity. They accept their responsibility to act in public interest. Thus, auditors play an important role in the economy in protecting stakeholders' interest. In India, Chartered Accountants (CA) perform the significant task of statutory audit of financial statements in Indian companies. Since the financial decision of a large part of the society related to businesses depends upon their opinion, professional institutions like The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) enforce certain regulatory pronouncements to maintain their integrity, independence, and unbiased functioning. These regulatory pronouncements require a statutory auditor to avoid circumstances that may cause threats to their independence. However, if threats are unavoidable, regulation also requires an auditor to apply safeguards available in their work environment or offered by regulation or disciplinary, academic, or non-academic measures. This framework is designed to ensure independence of the statutory auditor in an audit engagement with an ultimate goal of protecting stakeholder interest. In the present day economic environment, greed and tremendous urge to survive in the cut throat competition induces some company managements to breach accounting laws and manipulate their financial statements. Accounting irregularities in the financial statements eventually come under the regulatory radar, leading to a company's demise, thereby impacting most of its stakeholders. Every time a scandal is revealed, a question is raised regarding the auditors' sincerity, integrity, and independence. On many occasions, ensuing investigations into fraud detect an unholy nexus between statutory auditors and managements or their inadvertent negligence that caused disastrous consequences. Among many scandals in different parts of the globe, one notable Indian scandal where independence of the statutory auditor was questioned was the scandal at Satyam Computer Services. In this study, an attempt was made to analyze the extent to which independence of the statutory auditor in the said scandal was impaired and the study also identified possible causes behind it.

1 illus, 1 table, 30 ref

000021   Randhir Kumar;Brahampurya K;Bhar C (NO, Jindal Steel and Power Ltd., Raigarh, Chhattisgarh, Email: randhirk.iem.ism@gmail.com) : Feasibility study of the bicycle sharing system as a mode for internal movement of employees : a case study. Prabandhan: Indian J Mgmt 2015, 8(2), 25-34.

Bicycle sharing systems allow people to hire a bicycle from a docking station for short-distance movement, typically one way, providing a substitute to the conventional means of movement, that is, private or public carriers (autos, taxies, etc.). In an integrated manufacturing industry, employees generally use private vehicles or company transport for internal movement within the organization, and the organization has to invest huge sums of money for purchasing or hiring of vehicles or has to pay T.A to the employees using their own means of transport. This paper attempted to show the effectiveness and feasibility of the bicycle sharing system in an integrated industry, which has a scattered layout. We also showed its effect on the cost of internal movement of employees in terms of fuel expenses.

1 illus, 12 tables, 5 ref

000020   Pakutharivu N;Suhasini J (MBA Dep, Hindustan College of Arts and Science, Coimbatore-641 028) : Mediating effects of job satisfaction on organizational commitment and turnover intentions. Res Highlight 2014, 24(3), 173-82.

Data for the study was collected via structured generic questionnaire from 134 individuals within the population. Samples were obtained from respondents across three different organizations (2 Software and 1 ITeS companies) and were spread across different levels within these organisations. Responses on the 5-point Likert scale were obtained and the hypotheses tested using regression analysis. The results of the study support the hypotheses. Job satisfaction has a significant and positive relationship with three dimensions of organizational commitment and turnover intention has a significant and negative relationship with job satisfaction and organizational commitment. The findings of this study lead to a conclusion that it is imperative for Software and ITeS companies to address the needs of their employees, to strengthen the bond between employees and the organization, maintain good levels of motivation, increase job satisfaction that would result in increase in organizational commitment and minimize employee turnover.

6 tables, 9 ref

000019   Kamepalli L B;Pattanayak S K (NO, Karnataka State Women's Univ, Vijaypur-586 108, Email: klenin2011@gmail.com) : From millennium to sustainable development goals and need for institutional restructuring. Curr Sci 2015, 108(6), 1043-4.

1 table, 3 ref

000018   Anuradha;Pandey M (Management Studies Dep, Indian School of Mines, Dhanbad-826 004, Email: anuinsaa2011@gmail.com) : Review of work-life balance practices prevalent in public sector undertakings in India. Prabandhan: Indian J Mgmt 2015, 8(2), 49-56.

Work-life balance has become an Important issue in the twenty first century. Work and family life are two sides of the same coin as both are interconnected and Interfere with each other. Increased work demands interfere with family life, and on the other hand, family demands interfere with the work-life of employees. Therefore, conflicts occur, which negatively affect an employee's performance at work as well as at home. Looking at the trend, organizations have increasingly started to take an active interest in implementing practices that enable employees to cope with the work-life balance issues. The study attempted to explore the work-life balance practices of selected public sector undertakings and their impact on organizational performance. The finding suggested that public sector organizations in India have realized that work-life balance practices are crucial for organizational performance.

1 illus, 26 ref

023348   Sotiriadis M;Loedolff C (NO, , Room 3-01, Club One, Corner Dely and Albert Street, Hazelwood, 0081, Pretoria, South Africa, Email: sotirm@unisa.ac.za) : Nature-based visitor attractions and alliances/partnerships: suggesting a collaboration framework and the factors determining effectiveness. J hum Ecol 2015, 49(1-2), 89-101.

Tourism businesses are required to implement collaborative approaches in order to face a challenging business environment. Literature suggests that such approaches are efficient tools which provide enterprises with opportunities to improve efficiency. This may lead these tourism enterprises to survive in an increasingly volatile business environment and gain a sustainable competitive edge. This paper has two objectives: (i) to suggest a business alliances framework in Nature-Based Visitor Attractions (NBVAs), and (ii) to identify factors influencing the effectiveness of business partnerships in the context of NBVAs. A literature review was conducted to answer the aforementioned objectives. The paper draws on theoretical backgrounds of business collaboration and takes a strategic perspective to examine collaborative approaches. Using the theory, a conceptual framework for NBVAs cooperation is proposed and identified. Furthermore, the study highlights the factors influencing collaboration dynamics and those determining the collaboration effectiveness at destination level and within a visitor attraction context.

64 ref

023347   Rudhumbu N;Maphosa C (NO, Botho Univ, Botswana, South Africa) : Implementation of talent management strategies in higher education: evidence from Botswana. J hum Ecol 2015, 49(1-2), 21-32.

The present study examined talent management practices of private higher education institutions (PHEIs) in Botswana. The prime objective of this study, therefore, was to investigate the different talent management strategies PHEIs in Botswana employ to effectively manage talent. This quantitative study utilized a survey design in which data were collected from a stratified random sample of 300 respondents. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire and analyzed statistically with the aid of the Statistical Package of Social Sciences (SPSS) version 21. Results of this study showed that talent management strategies of private higher education institution in Botswana are still work in progress due to lack of knowledge and ability by managers in these institutions to plan and implement talent management programs.

1 table, 57 ref

023346   Priya S;Prema P;Lalithambigai G R;Priya D; Logeshkumar (NO, , ) : Teaching LSRW in rural engineering colleges of Tamil Nadu-where we are? where we have to be?-an insight into teaching language courses effectively for regional medium students. Omniscience 2014, 4(3), 30-5.

In the announced list of rank holders of Anna University, many rural colleges have made their mark and continuously outperforming their city counterparts. While the top ten colleges of the city always have the highest number of university rank holders, many engineering colleges in other districts and rural areas boast of at least 20 university rank holders each. At least 12 colleges from rural areas like Dindigul, Sivakasi, Nagerkoil and few parts of down-south India have also made it to the list of institutions with a high number of university rank holders this year. There are 557 engineering colleges across the State affiliated to the Anna University which is the affiliating body for engineering colleges in Tamil Nadu. Over the last few years, it is a proven fact that mostly city-based engineering colleges and the colleges located in the satellite cities score better with high University ranks. But the real ground reality is- it is mandatory for the rural colleges to outperform their city counterparts to get more and more admissions and it seems to be an uphill task for them. One of the main parameters that affect the results is the lacuna in the communication skills which puts the regional medium students under pressure while attending the engineering program. Rural colleges are struggling hard to heighten the knowledge and communication acumen of the students, but in vain. Teaching Listening, Speaking, Reading and Writing (LSRW) skills to the engineering students from rural colleges requires certain acumen which should be acquired with experience and interest. In this paper authors share their experience in teaching LSRW. Author's experience conveys that making them understand the importance of having potential communication skills and teaching them the simplest and practical methods for learning LSRW only will help them to communicate effectively rather than adopting general language training methods which fail to draw their attention.

023345   Prema P;Priya S;Sowndaryan G R;Shridevi; Yuvaraj (NO, , ) : Study on employability potential of engineering students studying in rural engineering colleges and its relation with their vocabulary and language skills. Omniscience 2014, 4(3), 1-5.

Students of the rural colleges including newly started self-financing engineering institutions in rural areas face a number of problems. English being the mode of language used for coaching is their second language and not their mother tongue and they are not used to learning it or using it in their day to day activities. Many students who do well in their 12th standard examination and are a high scorer in their schools are not able to perform well in the University examinations owing to the reason that they are not familiar with at least 80% of the words used in teaching-learning methodology adopted. This situation is aggravated in the recent decade in which more and more rural students are opting to study engineering programs, the splurge in the number of engineering institutions offering programs in Tamil Nadu attributed this situation. In this situation, many students simply get demotivated with their poor performance in the first two years of the program and even drop out of the colleges. This problem is related to the poor vocabulary of the students getting admitted in the engineering programs. Therefore, enhancing their vocabulary is the need of the hour for the engineering teachers. This work provides an insight into the recent scenario of the engineering students in Tirupur district-based engineering colleges and also provides few suggestions to teach the vocabulary effectively and in an occupying way so that it creates an intuitiveness and eagerness among the students to learn English and perform better in their University examinations.

023344   Oso G K;Abebayo I N (NO, , ) : The impact of motivation on workes productivity in hospitality establishments. Omniscience 2014, 4(3), 36-42.

Labour, as a factor of production differs from all other factors in that, it is human and rational. For this reason, it needs to be differently treated. It needs to be encouraged loved, induced or motivated. When this is not adequately done, the result is poor performance and low productivity. This study has investigated the impact of adequate motivation on worker productivity in hospitality industry with particular reference to some hotels in Auchi. The research made us of information obtained from the top management, middle and low management staff of the organization. Data collected were used to answer research questions and test the hypothesis formulated for this study. Chi-square was used in the calculation as 5% level of significance. The study concludes that there is significant relationship between motivation and workers' productivity. The study therefore, recommends that restriction of the pay system, upward review of salary, provision of bonus and benefit or rather enhanced remuneration of employees. It is suggested that there should be a periodic appraiser of workers performance, training and development programmes. It is believed that if all these measures are taking, employee performance will be enhanced towards improved productivity.

023343   Odeku K O (Faculty of Management and Law, School of Law, Univ of Limpopo, South Africa, Email: kooacademics@gmail.com) : Regulation of mining activities in South Africa: prospects, challenges and pitfalls. J hum Ecol 2015, 49(1-2), 33-9.

Mining activities have pros and cons. While they contribute immensely to the wealth of a nation and can be relied upon for economic growth and development, they also create environmental challenges which might lead to potential pitfalls. Therefore, there is need to strike a balance on how to prospect for minerals and ensuring that the environment is protected from being destroyed. Regulatory interventions are the most potent means that can be used to achieve this. In South Africa, mineral resources are being controlled by the government; those who have the responsibility to ensure sustainable mining and clean environment need to stand up to the challenges posed by dangerous mining activities by using the control mechanisms in various regulations to sanitise the industry by making sure that the environment, land and the people where mining activities are taking place are well protected from land degradation, pollution and so on. This paper looks at the impact of regulatory frameworks and interventions in the sector for a sustainable environment and equal benefit of mining to all, especially, the historically disadvantaged people.

23 ref

023342   Manpreet Kaur;Surjit Kaur;Neetu Dhar (NO, Punjab Technical Univ, Kapurthala, Punjab, Email: manpreet_1875@rediffmail.com) : Study of job satisfaction as a predictor of organizational citizenship behavior. Prabandhan: Indian J Mgmt 2015, 8(1), 34-45.

The purpose of this study was to analyze the contribution of job satisfaction towards predicting organizational citizenship behavior and its dimensions. This descriptive study was undertaken on a sample of 97 employees working in five 'A' class hotels in Jammu city. The results revealed that there exists a positive relationship between job satisfaction and all the dimensions of organizational citizenship behavior and the study also found that job satisfaction predicts courtesy and civic virtue more than it predicts the other dimensions of organizational citizenship behavior. These findings will be helpful for hotel management authorities to design different policies to enhance job satisfaction, which in turn will improve citizenship behavior among employees.

5 tables, 40 ref

023341   Kolanisi U;Venter M;Green M (NO, School of Agricultural Earth and Environmental Sciences Univ, KwaZulu-Natal Private Bag X01, Scottsville Pietermaritzburg, South Africa, 3209, Email: kolanisi@ukzn.ac.za) : Education and training program to change consumer attitudes towards rural water service: a transmission learning process. J hum Ecol 2015, 49(1-2), 103-110.

In South Africa, rural water service provision has faced challenges due to limited attention given to socio-behavioural aspects of consumer attitudes compared to technology and policies. Thus, it has become important to attend to and explore socio-behavioural aspects and interventions that could improve the situation. The present study measures consumer attitudes towards and knowledge of rural water service provision, after undergoing an education and training program. Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) Research principles were applied and the education and training program was delivered using transmission learning. Knowledge improvement of the participants was significant and there was considerable improvement in skills attainment. Improved knowledge showed a mean 0.5 before and mean of 0.8 afterwards with a Cronbach's alpha co-efficient of 0.6. The average p-value of the t-tests was 0.0032, reflecting great improvement in knowledge. The findings of this study informed that the knowledge improvement does not determine attitude change. Attitude change was not substantial, qualitative results confirmed that there is a difference between 'understanding' and 'believing'. Participants remained apprehensive about changing their values, beliefs, perceptions and experiences. In fact, there is a need for more research to explore what drives consumer perceptions, attitudes and behaviours. There is also a need for a wider learning process that could deal with the complexities in rural water service provision as well as attitude-behaviour changes.

3 tables, 31 ref

023340   Kasliwal N;Agarwal S (NO, Banasthali Univ, C-62 Sarojini Marg, C-Scheme, Jaipur-302 001, Email: neetikasliwal@gmail.com) : Study on Indian consumers' attitude and choice of preferences for green attributes of the hotel industry. Prabandhan: Indian J Mgmt 2015, 8(1), 21-33.

Hotels are the most important part of the tourism industry, which contribute to the sector by offering services and facilities of extremely high standards. Today, the hospitality industry is becoming more aware about the environment-friendly services. However, whether Indian consumers are aware about the green attributes offered by the hotel industry needed to be analyzed. The present study examined the Indian consumers' awareness, perceptions, and choice of preferences for the green attributes of the hotel industry. Data was collected using a structured questionnaire distributed to 300 respondents in Jaipur city, Rajasthan. The results obtained by using tests like chi square, percentage mean method, and one sample f test showed that there is a significant association between awareness, perception, and choice of preferences for the green attributes of the hotel industry. Based on the results, the findings and implications are also discussed in the paper.

6 tables, 37 ref

023339   Karim M (NO, , ) : Study based on a survey of overall australian labour force, occupation, industry of employment comparing to victorian ("victoria"-aprovincein Australia) suburbs. Omniscience 2014, 4(2), 18-25.

In Victoria, Australia, the inner eastern and eastern suburbs have developed their title as prestigious and rich suburbs. When it comes to northern suburbs, we can see the true middle class population. In the west, the labour class populations are more vivid in the picture. In this paper three suburbs in Victoria from east, north and west are chosen and compared the following classifications with national level: Labour force, occupation, industry of employment.

023338   Johnson Y A;Balogun N O (NO, , ) : Proverbs, values and the development question in contemporary africa : a case study of yoruba proverbs. Omniscience 2014, 4(2), 10-7.

If culture is a veritable instrument of development and language, a carrier of culture, and the relationship between language and culture is like that of two sides of the same coin, then the role of proverb as a metaphorical use of language cannot be overemphasized in any development discourse. This paper examined this invaluable nexus between language and development, with particular emphasis on how the use of proverb and its teachings could help revive moral/cultural values, and thus be used as a veritable instrument of development. This is done by taking as a foil, a content analysis of some of Yoruba proverbs, particularly the proverbs whose subject matter is on the development-related themes like care for others and cooperation, leadership qualities, advice, reproach and punishment, conflict resolution and warning.

023337   Jnanadevan R (NO, , ) : Trend in import and export of cocoa from India. Cashew Cocoa J 2014, 3(4), 1-12.

3 illus, 3 tables

023336   Chandel K;Rajwant Kaur (Commerce Dep, Himachal Pradesh Univ, Summer Hill, Shimla-5, Himachal Pradesh, Email: kulbhushanchandel@gmail.com) : Exploring various contributors of work - life balance as a panacea for occupational stress. Prabandhan: Indian J Mgmt 2015, 8(1), 9-20.

Work-life balance has become the buzzword for many organizations now and a license for success on every front. Organizations understand that the escalating stress of modern life, mainly caused by work-life conflict (i.e. performing one role at the cost of other), is becoming the number-one reason for employees quitting their jobs. They are trying to nurture a work life balance promoting culture that attracts and retains people. The present study was designed to determine various work life stressors. It also aimed at exploring various contributors to work - life balance. Factor analysis and descriptive analysis were used in the study. The findings revealed that organizational initiatives are important in maintaining work-life balance of employees. It also highlighted work life stressors and various factors which act as facilitators to work-life balance. The study suggests that organizations should understand various stress causing factors and try to eliminate or prevent these factors to alleviate work life stress of their employees. Organizations must promote work-life balance of employees by focusing on various factors (contributors) as explored by factor analysis in the present paper.

4 tables, 14 ref

023335   Chahal A S (NO, , ) : Developing educational excellence through TQM & QFD. Omniscience 2014, 4(2), 1-9.

Education is a very meticulous job. One needs to judiciously align the student to the path of harmony. The competitiveness in every sector of modern era pushes the educationist to think even more concisely. The axiom of being better is of no importance until is considered as a universal phenomenon of education. There is a need of redefining the education system beyond the traditional definitions. The education should be applicant for creating the sustainable systems which can endeavor human needs. The path directed can be achieved only with the marriage of quality approaches with the technical know-how approach of education. When the students are nurtured using such modern hybrid facilities the result leads the society to the even more developed state. The present paper investigates such approach and exertion is made to develop an educational model.

023334   Alhaji Hassan N (NO, , ) : Nigeria-zimbabwe bilateral relations: issues and challenges. Omniscience 2014, 4(2), 31-5.

Nigeria-Zimbabwe bilateral relations were struck in the early 1980s when Zimbabwe attained political independence during the administration of Alhaji Shehu Shagari. The diplomatic relations between the two countries were warm and cordial in the period 1980-2004. The objective of this paper is to examine the issues that have resulted to the low ebb in Nigeria-Zimbabwe bilateral relations in recent years. Secondary data were utilized in this paper. Books, Journals, magazines and newspapers were consulted. The findings of this paper indicate that there was international outcry against Mugabe's land reform, muzzling of the opposition and guided democratization for selfish interest. Nigeria as a member of the international community has also been sceptical of Mugabe's poor record of democracy. Nigeria's position affected her relations with Zimbabwe economically and politically in recent years compared to their warm relations in the 1980s and 1990s. The paper recommends the resuscitation of Nigeria-Zimbabwe Joint Commission in order to enhance economic, diplomatic and socio-cultural symbiotic gains between the two sisters African countries.

^iia

023333   Alhaji Hassan N (NO, , ) : Land appropriation in shonga community in Nigeria: the zimbabwe farmers connection. Omniscience 2014, 4(2), 26-30.

This paper seeks to examine the impact of the invitation of Zimbabwe white commercial farmers in changing the land ownership patterns and breeding tension in Shonga community of Kwara state, Nigeria. The objective of the paper is to highlight the effects of land appropriation by the state in favour of the Zimbabwe white farmers, and which has contributed to the revolt by the local farmers against the new order. The methodology utilized for this study is the use of primary and secondary data. The instruments of data collection are interview and observation. findings of the paper shows that the Kwara State Government allocated 16,000 hectares of fertile land already being used by the local farmers to the Zimbabwe commercial farmers. This development has resulted to unabated tension in the area which is looming. The paper recommends the conduct of a referendum to be overseen by neutral Non-Governmental Organizations to hear from the local farmers whether they want their land to be returned to them or not. This is the only way forward in bringing about a lasting peace in the area.

022386   Tangthong S (NO, King Mongkut's Institute of Technology Ladkrabang, Thailand, Email: sorasak@probizs.com) : Causal model of compensation and benefits and reward management on organizational effectiveness of MNCs. Asian J Mgmt Res 2014, 5(1), 44-65.

Empircal study is conducted to investigate the influence of compensation and benefits and rewards management on Organizational Effectiveness of MNC in Thailand. The conceptual model created for this study will comprise of compensation and benefits and reward management as the independent observed variable, three HR mediating variables, and Organizational Effectiveness as the dependent variable. A total of 7 theoretically-based hypotheses are developed, indicating possible positive and negative relationships among the variables in the model. Input consists of 224 top management, human resources managers/leaders and line managers. The proposed model is empirically tested by using AMOS of Path Analysis modeling. The test results found compensation and benefits and rewards management and the three HR mediating variables have an influence on Organizational Effectiveness, thereby better establishing compensation and benefits and rewards management and Organizational Effectiveness, and confirming most of the findings of previous research on the subject, while providing some fresh insights into me interrelationships between the variables.

2 illus, 5 tables, 99 ref

022385   Talreja P (NO, Acroplis Institute of Technology and Research, Manglia Square, Indore, Madhya Pradesh, Email: poojatalreja2004@gmail.com) : Policy rate changes and the movement of stock market (with special reference to nifty). Asian J Mgmt Res 2014, 5(1), 91-100.

Monetary policy is the process by which the Central Bank or Monetary authority of a country controls the supply of money, because of which share price movement also get affected. Every year Reserve Bank of India changes the cash reserve ratio (CRR), statutory liquidity ratio (SLR), Repo Rate, Reverse Repo Rate, etc. to control the money supply of the country. This paper aim to discuss about the impact of these ratios in the share price with special reference to Nifty. The analysis of the study showed that the security prices reacted to the announcements of these ratios. To do these, analysis we have taken daily basis database of different variable considered in the study.

5 tables, 13 ref

022384   Subramaniam S;Tiwari H (NO, Datta Meghe Institute of Management Studies, Atrey Layout, Nagpur, Email: himanshu_t@yahoo.com) : Impact of reality shows on common man and its sustainability. Asian J Mgmt Res 2014, 5(1), 66-78.

With the manifestation of many new television channels, there has been an up increase in the competition amongst each of these channels. Whether through transmission of reality shows, religious pilgrimage broadcast or figuring out their position by telecasting array of programmes for kids or women, each of these channels is relying profoundly on creativity and out of the box philosophy. To understand the awareness of reality shows, and to analyze the impact of reality show on male and female audience. The other objective of the study is to identify the most viewed channel as far as reality shows are concerned. A questionnaire has been prepared and it is sent through Google drive. The response received from the questionnaire will be analyzed. Hypothesis There is a significant difference in awareness level about the reality shows among male and female. There is a significant difference in impact level of the reality shows among male and female.

5 tables, 25 ref

022383   Shamsher S A;Mali S (NO, , Faculty- Finance and Accounting, Flame School of Business, Email: salim.shamsher@flame.edu.in) : Commodities derivative market-a intricate study of commodity options and commodity index investing. Asian J Mgmt Res 2014, 5(1), 112-33.

Hedging using derivatives both exchange traded and over the counter has assumed significant proportions in today's globalised economy. Within the two categories of exchange traded and over the counter derivatives (OTC), exchange traded products have assumed superiority mainly because they set aside the counterparty and liquidity risks, OTC on the other hand has assumed more significance in case there is a need for customization. Among these exchange traded products, futures and options have emerged as the most popular and widely used. The hedgers in other words those seeking protection would primarily comprise of farmers, merchandisers, food processors, importers and exporters, they would take a position opposite to their cash market position in order to insulate themselves against the risk of price fluctuation. Stulz (2002) shows that derivatives are also widely used by companies for risk management. Not only companies but also countries primarily developing and agrarian economies have been using commodity derivative markets to hedge commodity price risks. This was documented by Larson, Varangis and Yabuki (1998). Trading in Commodity derivatives in India has been time and again suspended in select commodities on the pretext that it causes price fluctuations and this being the precise reason why commodity options and index funds have not been introduced in the market. On the contrary, it has been observed that commodity options are widely traded in both developed as well as developing economies across the world. Globally Commodity Index investing has gained a lot of ground as it provides an effective diversification tool. Numerous studies have documented the negative correlation between commodities and other traditional investment avenues. This paper attempts to put forth a strong case for introducing comrpiodity options and index funds in the Indian commodities market.

2 illus, 24 ref

022382   Selma Karatepe;Kalyar M N (Faculty of Communication, Administrative Sciences Dep, Inonu Univ, Malatya, Turkey, Email: masood.kalyar@yahoo.com) : Exploring the strategic management practices in university of the Punjab, Pakistan. Asian J Mgmt Res 2014, 5(1), 148-63.

With current expansion in the global economy and the fast-changing advancement of technology and innovation, not only private firms but also public sector organizations are fronting an ongoing need for better planning, implementation, and development. This global challenge has brought policy makers into a critical situation of uncertainty and dynamism. Primary objective of this study is to asses strategic performance of University of the Punjab; one of the oldest and largest universities in South Asia. Data were taken from university's website and fact-books published by it. Strategic analyses show a strong strategic position and performance of the university in overall. However, the university's performance in research output, particularly in social sciences, is not as much as it should be as per Higher Education Commission's (HEC) criteria. The study suggests that University of the Punjab needs to focus on greater output of research published in HEC recognized journals as well as dynamic and radical pedagogical environment to keep pace with world-class universities.

3 illus, 1 table, 10 ref

022381   Segoe B (Curriculum and Instructional Studies Dep, South Africa Univ, South Africa, Email: segoeba@unisa.ac.za ) : Tutor support in an open distance learning (ODL) environment for upgrading teachers. J hum Ecol 2014, 48(1-ii), 161-9.

Tutor support in open distance learning (ODL), which is beyond the scope of course material, is very important as it fosters collaborative learning and support in students. This support could be extended to that of an educational counsellor or tutor counsellor, career guidance, manager, assessor, facilitator, demonstrator, role model or pastor and the tutor could also act as a friend and advocate for the student within the ODL system. To this end, action research studies in the United Kingdom with Open University students have shown that students come to ODL courses with varying expectations of the levels of service and support they will receive from their tutors. It has been further established that specific expectations-led quality assurances that enable the sharing of these expectations before a course starts could be of mutual benefit to the student and the tutor, as well as generally improving the overall quality of tutor support provided by the distance learning organisation. This process, it is argued, would be appreciated by the students as it would help to shape their future and have beneficial effects on student satisfaction with tutor support, consequently reducing student drop-out and increasing course completion rates.

28 ref

022380   Rao V S P;David R (HR & Soft skills Dep, IBS, Hyderabad, Email: vspraoo@gmail.com) : Employee branding and strategies: a winning combination for southwest airlines. SMART J Business Mgmt Stud 2015, 11(2), 73-81.

As the subject of employee branding has begun to spread, more and more executives have become concerned with how this process can help them achieve a competitive advantage for their organizations. This study explains how employee branding works and how it can be used as strategic focus to gain competitive advantage in the industry. Contextual analysis of employee branding as a source of strategy in Southwest Airlines is presented in this study. In conclusion, key success factors are identified for those who care to make employee branding a strategic focus within their systems. Employee Branding and Strategies are the key for success in Southwest Airlines operations.

27 ref

022379   Pradhan S (Library & Information Science Dep, Fauculty of Arts, The Maharaja Sayajirao Univ of Baroda, Vadodara-390 002, Email: sanghamitrapradhan@rediffmail.com) : Job prospects for LIS professionals in Indian higher education sector : an analysis of job advertisements published in university news. IASLIC Bull 2014, 59(2), 95-108.

Paper explores the prospects of US job aspirants in Indian higher education system which is the third largest in the world and it raises awareness among the professionals, the need to develop skills corresponding to job market. It is based on a survey of LIS job advertisements published for higher education sector in India during the year 2013 in the 'University News", which is a higher education news journal. Content analysis method was applied to analyze a total of 167 US job advertisements. Job ads were analysed into various components namely location and name of the educational institutions advertising their job vacancies, job designation, pay scale, required professional qualification, job experience and skills. It was found that colleges, central universities and national level higher educational institutions of India provide better job prospects for US professionals. MLIS degree alongwith either UGC NET/SLET qualification or a PhD degree is the most sought after qualification for both teaching and non-teaching jobs. ICT skill is the most important employability skill followed by skills in research and publications. The findings of this can be utilized by the US professionals to acquaint them with the job trend and to learn about employability skilIs required in higher educational sector.

3 illus, 6 tables, 11 ref

022378   Mishra U;Saurikhia A (Vanijya College, Patna Univ, Patna, Email: ashish.saurikhia@gmail.com) : Scale development for relationship marketing orientation of telecom companies. Asian J Mgmt Res 2014, 5(1), 101-11.

Relationship marketing focusses on building long-term arrangement in which both, the seller and the buyer participate in interest in providing a more satisfying exchange. Since the 1990's, the marketing of both services and tangible products has increasingly focused on the concept of the development of relationships with consumers. Customer Relationship Marketing plays an important role in telecommunication industry. Building and maintaining a long-term relationship with customers, has become critical for telecom service providers to sustain a competitive advantage. Successful management of relationship marketing requires a valid and reliable set of measures to assess its quality. Although a large body of research theoretically asserts a positive association between relationship marketing orientation (RMO) and business performance of telecom industry, a valid measure of RMO has not yet been proposed and systematic analysis of its effect on business performance has thus far not been possible. The present study develops and tests a measurement scale for evaluating RMO in the context of telecom industry. Results are discussed in terms of both theoretical and practical implications.

10 tables, 27 ref

022377   Marais P;van Schalkwyk A (Early Childhood Education and Development Dep, College of Education South Africa Univ, PO Box 392, Pretoria 0003, South Africa, Email: maraip@unisa.ac.za) : Open distance learning community engagement: identifying the needs of a community school. J hum Ecol 2014, 48(1-ii), 171-9.

A dysfunctional early childhood development (ECD) school will have a direct negative effect on the teaching and learning activities of the children attending it on their development. The objective was to determine the needs and challenges of a community school in order to determine what role lecturers at Open Distance Learning (ODL) institutions could play as part of their community engagement in transforming a dysfunctional school into a functional school. A qualitative research design was applied to obtain answers to the research questions and semi-structured interviews were used to obtain data from four staff members. Findings revealed that the school was indeed dysfunctional due to unqualified and under-qualified teachers. It was concluded that ODL lecturers need to support untrained teachers through ODL teaching and learning strategies in order to become qualified teachers.

19 ref

022376   Mangi L D (NO, Sher-e-Kashmir Univ of Agricultural Sciences & Technology, Jammu- Jammu and Kashmir, Email: leeladharmengi@gmail.com) : HRM in libraries: an Indian perspective. Asian J Mgmt Res 2014, 5(1), 1-15.

Purpose of this paper is to review human resource management (HRM) in apex institutes of India. It is to determine the level at, and manner by which, HRM issues are handled in Indian libraries and their parent organisations. The paper seeks to discuss the transition from the traditional personnel administration to an HRM approach of focusing on humans as a valuable resource at workplace and the implications. Through literature review, the philosophy and an understanding of HRM plus its branch of human resource development (HRD) were developed. Discussions were held with some Librarians and Library & Information Science (LIS) Faculty members; observations were also made on HRM processes at play. That generated data from prominent institutes of India. The paper finds that the HRM approach has been adopted in NISCAIR, where library managers' participation varies in each of the HRM core functions, namely, workforce recruitment, HRD, employment relations, health/safety, performance assessment and remuneration. Some librarians handle HRM issues unassisted, others jointly work with HR officers. To the disadvantage of libraries, some others are aloof from HRM. Recommendations include librarians' close interaction with HR professionals; further studies, training plus advocacy in Human Resource Management. The paper has reviewed the strengths and weaknesses over this still fluid HRM approach; raised awareness on desirable levels of participation by library managers; and how working relations among employees and employers may create an environment that enhances institutional performance for effective library management.

18 ref

022375   Mahdi Y;Djakeli K;Ghlonti G (NO, Georgian-European Marketing Association, Georgia, Email: josef.business@hotmail.com) : Market share prediction of italian and spanish brands in the fashion market of georgia by the expectancy value model (case study: zara, mango, massimo dutti as spanish brands and giorgio armani, versace, diesel as Italian brands). Asian J Mgmt Res 2014, 5(1), 79-90.

This research shows the Georgian people opinion and their point of views to the Italian and Spanish fashion brands rationally and emotionally which are related to price, primary characteristic, secondary features, product reliability of the rational side and quality, credibility and feelings of the emotional side in Georgia fashion market. This exploratory research was to study the market share prediction of Italian and Spanish fashion brands in Georgia fashion market by expectancy value model and also Georgian young consumer attitudes towards those fashion brands. This study was approached in the form of a case study, and using Zara, Mango and Massimo dutti as the Spanish brands and Giorgio Armani, Versace and Diesel as the Italian brands. Quantitative and qualitative survey was used as the research method to gather primary data by designing two kinds of questionnaires for 96 and 84 sample sizes. SPSS and Microsoft excel were used to analyze the data gathered from this study. Also during the research some differences between consumption of the Italian and Spanish were found on fashion market. The main differences between Georgian Respondents idea were about Spanish brands' slightly bigger spending on fashion and more purchasing, and their more frequent visits and it was also discovered that respondents valued Italian bands more. The aim of this research is to help those fashion brands to improve their marketing strategy to increase their market share and also to be useful for other fashion companies and brands which they want to get familiar and enter into the Georgia fashioti market, also to know the young consumer attitudes and behavior.

2 illus, 2 tables, 15 ref

022374   Mahasa P S;Ruhiiga T M (Geography Dep, Faculty of Agriculture and Natural Sciences, Qwaqwa Campus, Univ of the Free State, Private Bag X13, Phuthaditjhaba 9866, South Africa, Email: mahasapululusexton@gmail.com) : Medical waste management practices in North Eastern free state, South Africa. J hum Ecol 2014, 48(3), 439-50.

This paper presents a study undertaken to investigate the state of medical waste management practices in different hospitals in the north eastern Free State Province, South Africa. A random sample of ten (10) hospitals was selected. A stratified random sample of 138 staff members spread across the ten medical facilities was selected and face-to-face interviews were conducted. Observation of operations was carried out over a period of six months. Data collection through observation and interviews covered waste generation, storage, handling, transportation, treatment and management procedures. Data analysis made use of SPSS to generate descriptive statistics, correlations and hypothesis testing. The findings reveal that medical personnel do not treat medical waste as specified in official guidelines, there is no formal training for personnel, medical waste is not a key priority, low levels of environmental awareness, inappropriate treatment of waste at some sites, and inadequate budget allocations for medical waste management. These findings indicate that there is an urgent need for addressing issues of awareness for managers, better on-the job training for personnel, better systems for on-ward conveyance of waste from facilities to official medical waste treatment plants, an up-grade of existing incinerators and the enforcement of procedures for waste data collection.

4 tables, 49 ref

022373   Lindsay A K;Kongolo M (Political and Administrative Studies Dep, Swaziland Univ, Kwaluseni Campus, Swaziland, Email: alindsay@uniswa.sz) : Rural roads and agricultural development in Swaziland. J hum Ecol 2014, 48(3), 431-8.

The objective of this study was to examine the importance of managing and maintaining the quality of rural roads to support agricultural development and rural development in the Kingdom of Swaziland, to facilitate the distribution of agricultural products to be more accessible to the population. Both secondary and primary data sources were used following a document methods of research. The findings suggest that rural roads in the country are impassable and needed urgent attention for improvement. The study concludes that rural roads are critical in supporting both rural and agricultural development for improved socio economic conditions of the people.

1 table, 38 ref

022372   Klafke R;Pilatti L A;Ditkun S;Gomes T (NO, Universidade Tecnologica Federal do Parana-UTFPR, Brazil, Email: nena.klafke@gmail.com) : Brazilian labor market: booming or dooming?. Asian J Mgmt Res 2014, 5(1), 164-72.

This article aims to examine if there is, actually, a qualified labor blackout in Brazil - the causes - and to offer managers overviews about this topic. There are some newspapers bordering the topic, but limited scientific study, so this article attempts to close the gap. The research used an explanatory approach, which was carried out with team leaders and with the human resource department of some enterprises in Brazil. The proceeding used to argue the exposed problem was bibliographical; a questionnaire was sent to 24 industries and 6 managers were interviewed. The results reinforce the existence of a qualified labor blackout and the paper does not separate the data per Brazilian region or segment. The paper offers a comprehensive approach in understanding the causes of the labor blackout. It provides actual and professional overviews. The topic is relevant in terms of economic growth.

2 illus, 3 tables, 27 ref

022371   Khanvilkar S;Srivastava M (School of Business Management, NMIMS, Mumbai, Email: seemak@nmims.edu) : Organizational climate in the Indian context - an empirical study of middle level executives.. SMART J Business Mgmt Stud 2015, 11(2), 12-20.

India has traditionally and largely had an unstructured working environment, with most of the organizations being family-owned businesses. The scenario has changed post liberalization and in this changed scenario, it would be interesting to know how organization climate has evolved in the Indian context. Since Organizational Climate is perceptual, different organizations with differing practices and procedures may have different climates. One of the problems with conceptualizing climate is the specification of appropriate climate dimensions. The present study seeks to identify the dimensions that constitute organizational climate in the Indian context.

3 tables, 35 ref

022370   Kang'ethe S M;Manomano T (Social work and Social Development Dep, Fort Hare Univ, Box X1314, Alice 5700, South Africa, Email: skangethe@ufh.ac.za) : Exploring the reconstruction and development programme (RDP) residents' perceptions of housing allocation malpractices in golf course, alice town, Eastern Cape, South Africa. J hum Ecol 2014, 48(3), 407-15.

The present paper attempts to explore residents' perceptions of malpractices such as corruption, nepotism and favoritism and maladministration in the allocation of public housing, in an estate meant for people of low-socio-economic standing in the province of the Eastern Cape, South Africa. The study used both qualitative and quantitative approaches and used a case study and a mini survey designs respectively, with the qualitative approach being the dominant approach while the quantitative was less dominant. The qualitative sample included 22 beneficiaries of RDP houses; one social worker; one RDP housing administrator (who were purposively selected by the principle researcher) and 50 respondents for the mini survey. Findings indicate that most participants were not happy as they felt that allocation of houses was fraught with various aspects of malpractices such as bribery to facilitate fast allocation, nepotism and favoritism and allocating those who least deserved the allocation. The researchers, therefore, recommend to the government to seriously investigate the administration of the housing programme to get rid of its prevalent corruption practices.

5 tables, 36 ref

022369   Kachwala T (School of Business Management, NMIMS Univ, Mumbai, Email: tkachwala@nmims.edu) : Service quality in organized retail shop from customer's point of view. SMART J Business Mgmt Stud 2015, 11(2), 61-72.

The Indian retailing comprises of two sectors: unorganised and organised. A major market share of Indian retailing is dominated by large unorganised retail which includes the small size, family-owned stores. The organised retailing covers supermarkets, hyper-markets and malls, managed by professionals and they offer variety of services and products under one roof and they operate on self-service model. Service Quality in Organized Retail Shop is important to attract and retain customers. This study proposes to identify the important factors of Service Quality in Organized Retail Shop, the relative importance of these factors from the customer's point of view and evaluation of these factors for statistical significance. Because of the overlap and seamlessness of service quality theory, the study also assesses the inter-relation amongst the service quality factors.

3 tables, 16 ref

022368   Juta L B;Matsiliza N S (Public Management Dep, Tshwane Univ of technology, South Africa, Email: matsilizan@cput.ac.za) : Challenges of providing affordable human settlement in a selected township in the Western cape, South Africa. J hum Ecol 2014, 48(3), 375-82.

The Government of National Unity (GNU) in South Africa has been enormously challenged with the provision of affordable human settlements since its inception. Basically, various policies have been developed to address the housing problems that would improve the living conditions of all South Africans. The purpose of this study, therefore, is aimed at addressing the challenges facing the implementation of the Breaking New Ground (BNG) 2004 housing policy which is aimed at providing affordable human settlements in South Africa. The study adopted a mixed methodology to capture the primary and secondary data. The challenges in the N2 Gateway housing project included improper planning and unavailable land, structural problems inherited from the apartheid regime, poor quality of houses built, limited community participation and improper supply chain management and mismanagement. The findings of this study contribute towards a workable approach to the improvement of policy implementation in South African Housing sector.

30 ref

022367   Joyce T M (Curriculum and Instructional Studies Dep, South Africa Univ, Pretoria 0003, South Africa, Email: taolemj@unisa.ac.za) : Against all odds: how do primary teachers navigate in multi-grade teaching contexts?. J hum Ecol 2014, 48(1-ii), 153-9.

Multi-grade teaching is seen as an important policy option for providing access to education for learners in remote areas. However, achieving excellence in teaching and learning in a rural context remains a challenge for teachers and other sectors in a changing education system. The study describes the lived experiences of multi-grade teachers in rural schools and how they survive in their different multi-grade contexts. The research design was qualitative in nature, using case studies. Data were collected using observations and semi-structured interviews. The results revealed that teachers have varying perceptions of multi-grade teaching and do not have a clear understanding of the rationale behind multi-grade teaching, in addition, the findings from the data reflect that despite the challenges multi-grade teachers face they are able to find ways of using the little they have to enable teaching and learning to take place in their context. Multi-grade teachers practise useful strategies such as choosing similar topics and assessing learners in the same classroom according to their different grade levels. The study recommends that the teacher training curriculum integrates multi-grade teaching strategies as part of the initial teacher training, to enable teachers to deal with the realities that they face in multi-grade schools. In addition a well-coordinated support system at national, provincial, district and school level could help teachers cope with difficulties in their multi-grade classrooms.

26 ref